Cadel Evans

Nationality: Australian

Date of birth: 14/2/1977

From: Katherine, Northern Territory

Height: 1.74cm

Weight: 64kg

Team: Retired (formerly BMC)

Australia's first Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans' place in cycling history is assured. The now retired battling Aussie challenged for the Tour's yellow jersey for several years before finally landing the prize in 2011, when he beat Andy and Fränk Schleck in the final time trial in Grenoble.

Evans' career has been one of highs, lows, and variety. He started racing in mountain bike cross-country winning a junior world medal in 1995. He was UCI mountain bike World Cup series winner in both 1998 and 1999 thanks to a level of consistency that went on to serve him well in his road career.

He switched to road racing full time in 2001 and based himself in Italy. Evans had a long relationship with respected Italian coach Aldo Sassi and dedicated his 2011 Tour win to Sassi, who died from Cancer in 2010.

Evans's inaugural Grand Tour – the 2002 Giro d'Italia – thrust him into the limelight, as he took the overall race lead and finished in 14th place overall. However, a quiet couple of years followed after Evans switched from Mapei-QuickStep to Team Telekom and it was only when he signed to Davitamon-Lotto in the 2005 season that his form picked up again.

His eighth place in his first Tour de France in 2005 proved his Giro performance three years earlier was no fluke, and he was to place in the top 10 in at least on Grand Tour for every subsequent year until his retirement - an amazing track record.

Aside from is Grand Tour credentials, Evans also excelled in hilly classics and testing one-day races, often featuring in the top 10 of La Flèche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the former of which he won in 2010. He also claimed the road race world championship title in 2009 and topped the 2007 UCI ProTour ranking, a further indicator of his ability to maintain form throughout the season.

Evans retired in January 2015 following the Tour Down Under and the inugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Major results: 2009 road race world champion | 2011 Tour de France